In this context, we have decided on the coordinated and organised withdrawal of French forces," Ouattara said, adding that the military infantry battalion of Port Bouët that is run by the French army will be handed over to Ivorian troops.
Côte d'Ivoire's decision follows that of other leaders across West Africa, where France's militaries are being asked to leave. Analysts have described the trend as part of the wider structural transformation in the region's engagement with Paris.
The downscaling of military ties comes as France has been making efforts to revive its waning political and military influence on the continent by devising a new strategy that would sharply reduce its permanent troop presence in Africa.
France has now been kicked out of more than 70% of African countries where it had a troop presence since ending its colonial rule in the 1960s.
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